Hosting a Tea Party

A Tea Party can be either an official event of a brand, convention or your local community or private people in your comm can host it. Actually everyone can host it, and it is what it is called - A little (Victorian inspired) party with tea. At least in most cases.

At official or more public events (like those Tea Parties brands or your comm hosts) often happen raffles and a question and answer with a more famous/public person of the Lolita scene.

Of course not everyone is able to organise a raffle or a model to come to your tea party, but there are plenty of other ideas to make the Tea Party more interesting. The following points hopefully give you everything you need for hosting a quite successful Tea Party or at least give you inspiration for it.

1. The Basics

One of the most important things is to be prepared. Keep in mind that everyone has a different taste and is really into aesthetic things, so it is recommendable to prepare:

• different sort of teas
• water (without gas and with gas)
• maybe some other drinks if somebody doesn't like tea
• food*
• decoration **

*Regarding food you could ask others to bake something nice if they want. Beside cake, macaroons and little morceau, cookies or baked goods in general can give a nice variety.

 

 ** Decoration can change the whole atmosphere. If you have the opportunities, may organise something to decorate the table nicely. 

2. Games

Games are always good to go against the boredom.
The good thing about Lolita is, that everyone there (sooner or later) has a huge knowledge about different "Lolita things". You could maybe prepare little jewelry, sweets or something similar as prices and do a quiz or a competition regarding e. g. print names. You can generally form usual games into Lolita games.
For some inspiration:

Print Charade
This is really huge fun. You can search for prints of which either the content or the name is easy (or hard) to imitate.

Describing Prints without words
Here you can also search for some print names and eliminate some words that are directly or easily describing it. Without those words the person has to describe the print and the others has to guess which print it is.

Who am I?
This should also sound familiar to you. You are searching for celebrities or famous persons (of "our" world of course), write it on a post it, put it on the forehead of your friend and your friend has to ask Yes/No question about his new identity.

The new Maki & Asuka
Somebody gets the name of a print (maybe with picture example) and has to draw it on a piece of paper, visible for everyone while drawing. The first one who guesses the print either wins a price or can choose the next person to draw a print as a little reward.

Other games
If you organise the tea party at home, you could also make everyone bring another full coordinate or at least another piece, whether it's a dress, a blouse, a headdress or another main piece. Then you make two raffles. In one you put the names of everyone who is participating, in the other you put a specific style or specific criteria of a coordinate. (Sweet, Classic, Gothic Lolita for the beginning. To make it more funny, you can also throw other styles in the raffle and look what's the result.) Draw the person first, send her out (maybe with another person) and then draw the new style she'll dress in (Maybe ignore your first choice if it's her regular style). Then you have to choose a new coordinate. Don't forget to make pictures of it!

3. Photos = Memories

Make sure to get photos of the event. Maybe prepare pictures of the food and the decoration before it is eaten and messed up. You could also prepare a good camera and make coordinate photos of everyone when they arrive. Group photos are also a nice memory. Later, you can send them to them via Facebook, Whatsapp or even make them a "memory paper" or even a framed collage of the nice pictures you get.

Tips beside that

Little gifts are always a nice idea. Whether you do them in form of game rewards, welcoming gifts or in form as a framed collage a few weeks afterwards, your guests will be happy about it.

Furthermore, a theme can make the preparations easier for both sides. You can involve it in your decorations and maybe even in your food plans and your guests (and you) can involve it in their coordinates.

Your guests give you constant feedback of your actions. Always prepare enough tea, enough to eat and take care of the needs of your guests. May play games if you want, make a little photo session, prepare places where they can put their coats, bags and shoes at to make the beginning more organised and try to involve everyone. If you follow at least this instruction, everything will work out well!

Have fun, lovelies!